The United States men’s national team has received a significant boost ahead of their crucial World Cup round of 16 match against Belgium. FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee announced on Sunday a surprising reversal regarding the status of forward Folarin Balogun, confirming that he will not be suspended for the upcoming contest.
Balogun had initially been sent off during the 64th minute of the Americans’ round of 32 victory after making contact with the foot of Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic. Under standard rules, a red card carries an automatic one-match suspension with no formal appeal process available. However, the committee chose to intervene by suspending the implementation of that penalty.
A statement from FIFA explained the decision by citing Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, noting that the match suspension is now set aside for a one-year probationary period. According to the ruling, if Balogun commits another similar infringement during this time, the original suspension will be revoked and enforced, potentially alongside additional sanctions for the new incident. FIFA regulations grant the judicial body authority to fully or partially suspend disciplinary measures, placing the player on probation instead.
This outcome mirrors a recent precedent involving Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo, who was permitted to compete at the start of the 2026 World Cup after a three-match ban for an elbow thrown in a 2025 match against Ireland was similarly suspended. When contacted by USA TODAY Sports for further clarification regarding the specific reasoning behind the reversal of Balogun’s punishment, FIFA declined to provide additional details.
